Alation Data Catalog

AI-powered data catalog platform with collaborative governance, behavioral analysis, and comprehensive enterprise integration

AI-driven data discovery with behavioral analytics and collaborative governance

Tool Overview

AI-Powered Discovery

Machine learning-driven data discovery with automated cataloging and smart recommendations

Collaborative Platform

Social data cataloging with crowdsourced governance and community-driven insights

Behavioral Analytics

Data usage analytics with behavioral insights for data democratization and optimization

Platform Capabilities

1000+
Enterprise Customers
400+
Data Source Connectors
95%
Data Discovery Accuracy
24/7
Global Support

Key Strengths

  • Social Cataloging Pioneer: Innovative collaborative approach with crowdsourced data governance
  • Behavioral Intelligence: Unique data usage analytics that provide insights into data consumption patterns
  • User-Friendly Interface: Intuitive design that encourages adoption across technical and business users
  • Advanced AI/ML: Machine learning algorithms for automated data discovery and classification
  • Enterprise Scale: Proven ability to handle complex enterprise environments with thousands of data sources

Limitations & Considerations

  • Premium Pricing: Higher cost compared to some competitors, especially for smaller organizations
  • Implementation Complexity: Requires significant change management for successful adoption
  • Limited Real-Time: Some limitations in real-time data streaming and processing capabilities
  • Customization Constraints: Some enterprise-specific customization requirements may be challenging
  • Learning Curve: Advanced features require training and may overwhelm casual users initially

Pricing Structure

Professional Edition

Core data cataloging and collaboration features

$25,000+

per year minimum

Enterprise Edition

Advanced AI features and enterprise connectors

$100,000+

per year typical deployment

Enterprise Plus

Premium features with dedicated support and consulting

Custom Pricing

volume-based enterprise licensing

ERP & Enterprise Ecosystem Integration

Core ERP Integration

ERP System Integration Method Key Features
SAP S/4HANA Business Objects connector, RFC, IDocs Master data catalog, transaction lineage
Oracle ERP Cloud REST APIs, ODI integration, database connectors Fusion app discovery, data lineage tracking
Microsoft Dynamics 365 Power Platform, Common Data Service APIs CRM entity catalog, workflow documentation
Workday REST API, Report Writer integration HCM data discovery, calculated field mapping
NetSuite SuiteTalk API, ODBC connections Financial data catalog, custom field discovery

Complex Ecosystem Support

Platform Category Supported Systems Integration Approach
Cloud Warehouses Snowflake, BigQuery, Redshift, Databricks Native connectors, metadata harvesting
Legacy Systems Mainframe, AS/400, COBOL, DB2 Host connectivity, file system scanning
BI Platforms Tableau, Power BI, Looker, QlikView API integration, usage analytics
Data Engineering Spark, Airflow, dbt, Kafka, Flink Pipeline discovery, job lineage tracking
ML Platforms MLflow, SageMaker, DataRobot, H2O.ai Model catalog, experiment tracking

Industry-Specific Use Cases

Financial Services

Regulatory Data: Basel III data discovery and governance
Risk Analytics: Credit risk model data lineage and documentation
Customer Analytics: 360-degree customer data discovery across touchpoints

Healthcare

Clinical Data: Trial data cataloging for FDA submissions
Patient Records: EMR data discovery with HIPAA compliance
Population Health: Multi-source health data integration

Manufacturing

Supply Chain: End-to-end material and vendor data tracking
IoT Analytics: Sensor data cataloging for predictive maintenance
Quality Data: Production quality metrics and defect tracking

Retail & E-commerce

Customer Journey: Omnichannel data discovery and mapping
Product Catalog: Product information management across channels
Inventory Data: Real-time stock level data governance

Telecommunications

Network Data: BSS/OSS system data discovery and lineage
Customer Data: Subscriber data across billing and service systems
Performance: Network performance metrics cataloging

Energy & Utilities

Smart Grid: IoT sensor and meter data cataloging
Asset Management: Infrastructure data across OT/IT systems
Regulatory: Environmental compliance data governance

Enterprise Customer Success Stories

U.S. Bank

Major financial institution using Alation for regulatory data discovery and Basel III compliance across trading and risk systems

Result: 70% faster regulatory report generation

Pfizer

Pharmaceutical giant leveraging Alation for clinical trial data cataloging and FDA submission preparation

Result: Accelerated drug development through data discovery

T-Mobile

Telecommunications leader using Alation for customer data discovery across BSS/OSS systems and network analytics

Result: Enhanced customer experience through unified data view

Albertsons Companies

Retail grocery chain leveraging Alation for customer analytics and supply chain data discovery across stores

Result: Improved inventory management through data insights

Pacific Gas & Electric

Utility company using Alation for smart grid data cataloging and regulatory compliance across infrastructure

Result: Enhanced operational efficiency through data governance

Implementation Timeline

1

Discovery & Planning (Weeks 1-2)

Data source inventory, user requirements gathering, and implementation planning

2

Platform Setup (Weeks 3-4)

Infrastructure deployment, initial configuration, and security setup

3

Data Source Integration (Weeks 5-8)

Connector configuration, metadata harvesting, and lineage discovery

4

User Adoption & Governance (Weeks 9-12)

User training, governance framework setup, and collaborative features adoption

Back to Data Governance Playbook